Manchester United led three times against Bournemouth but failed to see it out and shared eight goals as they missed out on the chance to go fifth in the Premier League.
Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes couldn't hide his frustration at United's failure to beat Bournemouth
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It has taken Ruben Amorim 13 months and 59 games as Manchester United head coach to bend to his principles and give in to pressure from pundits, supporters and even some players, but after a night of high drama and even higher stress, he might be reluctant to do so again.
Amorim had hinted on Friday that the loss of Noussair Mazraoui, Amad and Bryan Mbeumo to the Africa Cup of Nations might force him into a tactical rethink, and this was the first sign of that plan. The one change from Wolves looked like-for-like, but when the game began, it was clear this was more back four than back three.
There was plenty of versatility there. At times, it reverted to the familiar shape with Amad at wing-back, but more often than not he was further forward, with Leny Yoro at right-back and Diogo Dalot at left-back. Throughout the first half, it looked like Amorim had been missing a trick all along. By full-time, there were as many questions facing a back four as there were a back three.
When will the real United under Amorim reveal themselves? They were electric in the opening exchanges in the first half and then out of battery at the start of the second. The contrast was baffling, as it was at both ends of the pitch. United were brilliant going forward but hopeless at the back and once again they saw the chance to go fifth get away from them.
Bruno Fernandes couldn't hide his frustration at full-time. He was animated in arguing with Casemiro but looked to be venting his wider complaints at the Brazilian. He knows this chaos can't continue.
It had looked like a different story on at least a couple of occasions. Three times United lead and after starting without intensity against Everton and West Ham, they tore into Bournemouth.
Amad's goal in the 13th minute was United's eighth shot of the evening and the least they deserved for the enterprise they had shown in the opening exchanges. It was noticeable that Amorim's tactical shift was getting more players into the box. Bournemouth had been overworked in blocking shots from Fernandes, Matheus Cunha and Amad, while Djordje Petrovic saved from Mason Mount.
Petrovic could only stick an arm out when trying to smother Diogo Dalot's dangerous cross with Cunha lurking. The Brazilian didn't get a touch, but the ball bounced up for Amad to head into an empty net from a couple of yards out.
The chances kept coming. Cunha stroked a shot just wide and Mbeumo forced Petrovic into another save. Cunha was pulling the strings as a false nine. Another excellent pass from his own half released Amad, whose shot was blocked by Adam Smith, and a perfect Cunha cross was met acrobatically by Mbeumo, but he could only volley over.
United had racked up 12 shots to zero by the half hour but had a warning when Semme Lammens saved Marcus Tavernier's header from six yards, only they didn't heed it. Luke Shaw was bullied off the ball by Justin Kluivert and Ayden Heaven too slow to Antoine Semenyo, before his finish off the post.
Casemiro restored the lead before half-time, with Petrovic making a mess of his header from Fernandes' corner, and it felt like that should have been that. But if United started the first half well, they were sleeping after the break.
Within seconds of the restart, Tavernier's pass found Evanilson on the wrong side of Heaven, and he finished past a flat-footed Lammens. Soon after, Fernandes was caught on the ball in midfield and Casemiro forced into desperate action, conceding a free-kick 20 yards out. It proved pointless, Tavernier's low effort beating Lammens, who should have been protecting that side of the goal.
United were beginning to look out of ideas as Amorim turned to Kobbie Mainoo to try and save his blushes. The roar that greeted Mainoo's emergence for Casemiro made it clear that Old Trafford regulars have no desire to see the academy graduate spend the second half of the season out on loan, but that noise was soon eclipsed.
Fernandes made up for his mistake for Bournemouth's third by curling a magnificent free-kick into the top corner with 13 minutes to go, waving his arms to demand urgency on the pitch and in the stands. He got it immediately. Mbeumo forced his way through a tackle, Benjamin Sekso carried on the move and Cunha capitalised on a defensive error to fire in his second goal for the club.
Fernandes made a beeline for the subs before running in front of the Stretford End to join his delirious teammates. Cunha kissed his shirt in front of the stand and Old Trafford came alive.
But these supporters know by now never to take anything for granted. Junior Kroupi found space on the edge of the area and delivered a stunning finish and Bournemouth looked the more likely to win it. In eight added minutes, Lammens saved twice from David Brooks to ensure a disappointing night didn't become disastrous.